It’s been hard to find the perfect foundation for my skin. I need something with full or buildable coverage to hide my scarring and acne, decent ingredients so my skin doesn’t break out, and a matte finish so I don’t get oily throughout the day. I’ve found three foundations that more or less meet my needs.

MAC Studio Fix Foundation ($27)

I feel like MAC gets a bad rep with acne sufferers as being “bad for your skin” but this foundation is one of the only foundations I’ve tried that doesn’t break me out. It has demi-matte finish and lasts quite a while on my extremely oily skin, but I do have to set my t-zone with a loose powder. I really like how smoothly this foundation goes on and how easily you can build it up to a super full coverage. MAC also has a huuuuuge shade selection.

Pros:

Demi-matte finish, lasts a good amount of time

Doesn’t break me out

Medium – really full coverage

A shade for everyone

Cons:

Can feel heavy if you’re not used to full coverage

Transfers if you don’t set it

L’Oreal Infallible Pro Matte 24 Hour Foundation ($12)

This foundation is seriously the mattest foundation I’ve ever used. It legitimately dries to a powder. It also lasts a ridiculously long time, I get oily around 10 hours in, which is amazing considering I have insanely oily skin. You just have to use a really good moisturizer underneath this foundation so you can blend it easily. This foundation also builds really well. It goes from medium coverage to really full coverage pretty easily, you just have to work with it quickly. For the price, I would say this is an incredible foundation, but I would only recommend it to the oily skin girls/guys.

Pros:

SUPER matte, lasts a really long time

Blendable and buildable

Great price

Shades have good selection, lots of yellow undertones

Doesn’t break me out

Cons:

Can get patchy if you don’t moisturize or work slowly with the product

Clings to dry patches

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation ($35)

This one is really similar to the MAC Studio Fix. I would say it has a satin finish, but it’s marketed as a matte. I guess it really just depends on what you use under it. It has a thick and creamy consistency but doesn’t feel too heavy on the skin. A little goes a long way with this foundation, so it lasts a lot longer than the other two I mentioned. The coverage is great as well, you only need one pump to cover your entire face, and maybe a half a pump more to go over trouble areas. This also has a great shade selection.

Pros:

Great coverage for minimal product

Lasts a decent amount of time

Great shade selection

Doesn’t break me out

Cons:

Can feel heavy on the skin

It can be hard to find that holy grail foundation, but don’t be afraid to experiment. Just do a lot of research before you go out and purchase! Check ingredients, watch reviews and demos, and compare different foundations!